Tywin Lannister stood in a massive tent, his top commanders sitting at a long table near him, maps and pieces representing troops were pushed from one place to the other.

"Lord Lannister, our men are being pushed as is. We're advancing too deep into enemy territory! Perhaps a day of rest w-"

Tywin Lannister looked down at the man and spoke with a harsh, commanding tone
"They have my sons! My daughter! And my grandchildren! Stannis commands five thousand men, Robert has already called his bannermen! The longer we delay, the more their forces grow-"

The conversation was interrupted by a man screaming outside the tent, followed by the sound of fighting. Steel hitting steel, bones being broken.

"An enemy attack?"

"How did they avoid our scouts? The alarms should have been raised! How did they get so close?"

And as swiftly as it had started, the fighting died down. Silence filled the tent, lingering until they heard a woman's voice singing:

"In a coat of gold or a coat of red

A lion still has claws

But now the lion's foolish pride

Has cost him his cubs and paws"

Into the tent walked a woman, her armor freshly painted red, covered in splashes of blood.

"You really ought to teach your men to treat messengers better. They just couldn't keep their hands to themselves, so now they won't be using them for a while."

The men stood up and drew steel, she continued "Ser Maria Starbrand, here to deliver…" She searched through her pockets and withdrew a scroll from them, a royal seal of wax keeping it closed.

"A message for Tywin Lannister, from his Grace, King Robert Baratheon" She threw it onto the table, causing a few of the commanders to flinch.

Tywin's cold gaze showed no changes and remained on her as he took the scroll from the table, opening it.

He read it carefully before saying "Is this some sort of joke? Why would I ever participate in the mummer's farce you'd call a trial?"

Wordlessly, Maria threw him another letter. This one marked with the Lannister seal.

"What sort of fool do you take me for, woman?"

"Now, now, Tywin, can't you recognise your own daughter's handwriting? It would be trivial for her to hide some secret message. The words are hers"

"... Be that as it may, you've given me no reason not to simply march my army into King's Landing and take what is mine."

"Tywin, you disappoint me, I was told you were smart."

"I am a Lord, you will address me as such."

"Actually, it just so happens you've been stripped of all titles and land, can't imagine why."

Maria found the look of anger on Tywin's face priceless.

"As for why you should attend the trial?
Well, let's see, you're at war with the King, so that's the Crownlands against you. Your son tried to kill Stark's son, so that's the North calling for your head. Your little village burning order has more than pissed off the Riverlands. Everyone thinks Cersei killed Jon Arryn, so the Vale will join in on the fun soon enough. King Robert is going to marry the Tyrell girl, so the Reach is sending troops. The Martells still want your head for what you allegedly ordered done to Elia, and I killed the Mountain, so what do you think happens if I send a letter to Dorne? They've already sent me marriage proposals, you know…

Oh and there's me, I've already had to hammer my way through a score of your men. You could be down a hundred before nightfall. Perhaps I should throw in the Iron Islands? Theon Greyjoy is hostage to the Starks, so if he send-"

"Enough! You've made your point… And the terms offered in the letter?"

"Should Cersei be found innocent she's free to go. Should she be found innocent of the murder but her children found to be Jaime's, her marriage with Robert is over and her reputation tarnished, but she'll live. And of course, if she's guilty of the murder, her head goes on a spike."

"And my judgment?"

"Shall be respected equally to the King's. The war is considered under ceasefire. You're allowed to bring fifty men as your personal guard, make sure they're well behaved however, or you'll reach King's Landing with far less."

Tywin took a deep breath before swallowing his pride. "So be it." He turned to his commanders "You, see it done"

"Well, she's certainly made a name for herself" Lord Varys turned to Littlefinger as they both walked away from the small council meeting. "Barely 2 months she's been here, and already she.. sits on the small council. I believe that beats even your record, Lord Baelish "

"At this rate, in a year's time, she'll be sitting the Iron Throne." he mused.

"No, I don't think she wants the throne."

"You think her loyal to the crown? A rare thing in these parts".

"No, something far more rare than that, she's loyal to the realm… Or rather, to its people. Her tournament winnings found themselves feeding the refugees to King's Landing. She hungers not for power or wealth." Varys addressed Lord Baelish with a smile on his face.
"I think you'll find her very hard to persuade"

Littlefinger gave a fake smile before replying "Yes, a most gallant, noble knight. I wonder what she'd think, if she found out what you do to little boy's tongues."

"And I wonder what she has to say, about how you treat your prostitutes."

Both men stared each other down for a moment.

"She went all that way to get Tywin Lannister, and fifty of his men. She rarely left Lord Stark's side before."

Lord Baelish's smile turned more genuine "That role seems to have fallen to The Hound, I wonder what she did, to have him wrapped around her fingers like that. Never took Sandor for the type to be swayed by a nice pair of legs."

Varys shrugged "I'm no expert on the subject, but I don't think that's why. Regardless, the fact remains that the King and his Hand are well protected, even in her absence. Any treasonous acts would be best held off, until Tywin gets here-."

"Yes, truly the realm is well defended."

Joffrey was in the yard of Castle Black, begrudgingly attending to his duties as a steward, but all that filled his mind were his… father's words, as much as it disgusted him, he was long past the point of denial. The conversation between them had been torture.

"Do you know why I struck you?"

"Because you're a-"

"Wrong, I struck you because your life depended on you doing as you're told! You depend on these people to stay alive, you fool! What do you think would have happened if you hadn't done your job and we'd been overrun?"

"... I'd be dead"

"We'd both be dead. These men are your brothers, if your life is in danger, you depend on them. Try not to get yourself killed. I won't be around to protect you forever."

"..."

"I shouldn't have allowed that hateful woman to raise you."

"My mother is the queen!"

"And look where it got you. What do you think happens, if I die? No one here cares about you, they'd abandon you at the first opportunity!"

"They'd be nothing more than craven cowards!"

"And you'd be dead. Start making friends before that happens"

Joffrey stopped and looked at the gate through which his father had passed mere hours ago. He prayed he'd return safely.

The Inn was crowded with Tywin's men. One of the serving girls made her way across it, carrying mugs full of ale. When one such man tried to grab her, he soon found his hand pinned to his table by his own knife.

"Careful where you put your hand, lest you lose it." The soldiers drew their weapons at Maria in response.

"Tywin, what did I say about your men and the behavior thereof?"

Tywin remained unfazed "Perhaps I should have brought an army of eunuchs. Sheath your swords"

"M'lord, she's just one unarmored, unarmed woman." Said one brave soldier

"Yes Tywin, let me have some fun. I was promised lions, but all I see are dead men." Maria said mockingly.

"ENOUGH. All of you, stand down. You too, Ser Maria" the contempt in his voice was thick enough to cut.

Maria slowly removed the knife and bandaged the wound she'd made on the man, before returning to her room. Travel was slow, dragging Tywin's guards, but at least it gave her some time to work making another healing potion. She got to work, it should be finished by the time they reach King's Landing. Her work for the day finished, she let herself fall on her bed.

She was awoken by her weapon warning her to danger. She leapt out of her bed to find herself surrounded by Lannister soldiers. With a gesture, her armor and weapon were summoned to her and she got to work. Weaving through enemy blades as she crushed bone beneath her hammer. One particular unlucky man was struck so hard he was sent flying through one of the Inn's wooden walls. The noise of battle awoke the rest of the Inn's occupants. More of Tywin's soldiers entered to take the place of the defeated ones.

"What in the Seven Hells?" Shouted the Innkeeper

Maria fought her way through the guards, pushing men aside until she'd made her way to Tywin's room, bursting open his door with a well placed kick.

"Would you tell your men to stand down, before I have to break them all?" She said as she parried another blow that would have struck her back.

Over two dozen men lay strewn about the place, their injuries being treated by the remaining half of Tywin's men. Lord Lannister would have preferred to have them killed, as he "had no use for cripples". Ser Maria had insisted "Have half your army healed, or you shall have none." Now they both sat around the largest table in the tavern.

"As I said, seven of your men sneaked their way into my room and tried to kill me in my sleep. They failed, the fighting drew the attention of more of your men, so I wisely made my way to you, to get them to stop." Maria stood beside the man that had ordered the attack on her, his hand still bandaged from that afternoon's events.

"The fucking bitch stabbed me!"

Tywin simply sighed "Madness. Madness and stupidity." He stood "Your worthless excuse of an assassination attempt cost me HALF MY GUARD! Why shouldn't I have you killed for this?"

"Now now, Tywin, that won't be necessary. The poor man has suffered enough. And besides, the Night's Watch could always use more men."

"You-" The man stopped himself, realizing his life was at the woman's mercy.

Tywin was at his wit's end. He wanted to simply go to bed and pretend this had all been a nightmare. He turned to his captain, "You, see it done. As for the injured, tell them they're dismissed." Tywin's eyes were bloodshot as he made his way back to bed. Maria's were much the same, yet she couldn't keep herself from smiling, things had gone better than she could have hoped.

Joffrey had completed his duties for the day. We passed through the hall and kept walking, knocking at the door of Maester Aemon.

"Yes, how may I be of assistance?"

"Maester Aemon, I've…" For the first time in his life, Joffrey simply swallowed his pride and asked for help. "been having trouble with the tasks I've been given."

"How so? They're rather simple and you're still in your youth, so your strength shouldn't be lacking."

"They are beneath a Prince. I was not meant for this!"

"Many would consider my tasks beneath a Prince as well, but I undertake them all the same"

"And what does that have to do with…" Joffrey gazed closely at the blind old man before him. "...You're Aemon Targaryen, brother of-"

"The men of the Night's Watch are my brothers now, Joffrey."

"That's no way to speak to a Prince!"

"You've taken your oath. I fear that you are no more a prince than I am, young man."

Joffrey Baratheon… or he supposed it was Lannister now, assuming it wasn't Hill, contained his anger and simply asked,

"What would you have me do?"

"The duties you've been assigned, just the same as all men of the Night's Watch."

"Easier said than done. I was trained all my life to sit the throne, not to run stupid errands like some lowborn mongrel."

Aemon smiled. "Far too many have died, trying to sit on that throne. Be thankful you're not one of them."

For the first time in many years, King Robert Baratheon and Lord Eddard Stark found themselves in a training yard, sparing.

"Come on, no holding back. Your King commands it."

"Yes, your Grace." Lord Stark swung and braced for a counter. Robert was far from his prime but his strength was still enough to send him flying.

Sure enough, Robert took the blow without flinching and returned it twice over, sending Ned into the dirt.

"Gods, it's been years since I've had this much fun." He outstretched his hand, helping Lord Stark back on his feet. "Call me King all you want, so long as I still get to swing a hammer, while you deal with the busywork, I'm happy."

"Yes... Could you perhaps swing it a little more gently, your Grace?"

"Come now Ned, you're not that old yet. You just need to shake the rust off."

"I think I've been shaken quite enough for one day."

Renly stepped forth, "Perhaps a battle between brothers would be closer?"

The king gave a quick laugh, "Don't go betting on it, little Renly."

At that moment, they were interrupted by the Gold Cloaks. Dozens of members of the City Watch stormed the yard.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked King Robert.

The three kingsguard put themselves between the two groups. "Your Grace, back away" Renly, Sandor and Barristan grabbed their hilts.. The city guards drew their swords.

Lord Robb looked at the letters scattered across his desk, he held his head in his hands. The worst had come to pass. He had sent forty men, none had returned. Reinforcements from the Karstarks and the Manderlys were on their way but would still take time to arrive.

Did they mean to take Winterfell? It was possible, it had been left vulnerable after the recent losses, but no troops had been spotted. Perhaps it was Hornwood they had their eyes on? As strange as that would be…

Robb dipped his quill in ink and began writing some letters. Praying they would arrive safely.

"Yes, very good. You move with the grace of a cat"

Lady Arya and her sword instructor were sparing again. Syrio deliberately biased his movements ever so slightly towards his right side, an opening Arya quickly capitalized on.

"Your eyes are learning to see, rather than merely watch, well done-"

A strange noise rang throughout the room. Arya Stark followed it to its source, only to find it was the sword Jon had given her. It was shining, the gem upon it glowing. She put her hand upon the hilt a single word filled her mind.

"Danger"

Without her saying anything, her direwolf Nymeria ran to her and stood at attention. She turned to Syrio Forel, putting the blade at her waist. "Get your sword, a real one. We're in-"

A crashing sound came from the door as it splintered, fragments of wood flying from its hinges, followed by another, Syrio Forel ran, grabbing a sword of steel. Master and student both readied themselves, the young girl's legs shaking as she stood behind him. Nymeria growled, baring her teeth.

With one final blow, the doors fell to the ground, revealing a dozen Golden Cloaks behind it.

Bran felt the rain upon him, it slowly dripped down along his body. He looked at himself and saw that it was red and viscous. Blood, its metallic smell overwhelming him, it kept falling until he was wading knee-deep in it, he saw decaying human skin floating over the waterline as waves crashed against him. More and more blood fell. He now struggled to keep himself afloat, he could glimpse his family in the distance as they all drifted further away from each other, the sea of blood grew hotter and hotter as it started to boil.

Bran awoke covered in sweat, he struggled to get out of bed, his legs still weighed down by pain. He snatched his cane and slowly went for a walk around Winterfell.

"Well done, Lady Stark. It 's perfect."

Sansa Stark was undertaking sewing lessons with her Septa when she heard signs of a fight outside the room, steel being drawn. Lady growled and barked, the direwolf's teeth sinking into flesh.

Lady whimpered and was then silenced. Half a dozen gold cloaks barged their way into the room. Sansa and her Septa stood.

"Is something the matter?" One of the gold cloaks drew his sword, stabbing Septa Mordane in the chest. Sansa screamed, tears streaming down her face as she was grabbed and dragged off, her septa drawing her last breath. She clawed at the man's arm helplessly, she kicked and screamed, but none came to save her.

Perched upon Maegor's holdfast, a Raven had witnessed the events that had transpired. It flew, faster than ever before, returning to its bonded other to inform her of what had transpired, arrows came flying at it, passing close enough to cut feathers, but the bird managed to pass unscathed.

When the Raven arrived, she was sleeping soundly, recovering from her most recent battle against the Lannister men. Perching upon her shoulder, it awoke her.

As Ser Maria opened her eyes, she saw her familiar perched atop her and in an instant a flood of memories rushed into her brain.

She struggled to breath, her heart beating as though it wanted to leave her chest. She gripped her sheets and began to sweat as adrenaline filled her veins.

She moved, running faster than ever. Rushing outside onto the rain. She found the fastest horse available and stole it, riding off south. She'd been a fool, she had grown complacent in her victory and now it had cost her. Pushing the beast to its limits,until countless miles later, it collapsed under her.

She started running faster than she thought she could, she felt her leg muscles breaking under her and yet she did not stop. Dread haunting her mind, images of the worst and most likely outcome filling her mind. The Starks and Baratheons dead, the Lannisters escaped, along with the two rats of the small council. Even in the best case scenario, she had failed, utterly.

Ned Stark grabbed at the hilt Maria had given him, as the luminous blade sprang from it, motes of light shot off towards men, hitting them square in the chest and searing his enemies down to nothing. The rest of the guards attacking him flinched away and kept their distance from him after that, scared of what such a blade might do. Eddard went on the offensive, seizing the opportunity to cut down a couple of them. Still, their numbers seemed endless.

"There's too many!" Said Renly. "We can't hold them off forever."

"We should retreat to Maegor's holdfast. It's a more defensible position" Ned advised, the king nodded in approval. Robert had dispatched half a dozen gold cloaks, but he was beginning to tire. He gave the order to fall back.

The five of them retreated, running back to the square fortress in the middle of the Red Keep. "We won't be able to open the door with them at our backs."

"I'll hold them off, your Grace."

"You'll be killed, you old fool" Spat Sandor.

"I would die a knight" Ser Barristan Selmy stood his ground, the tight corridor forcing his enemies to come at him two at a time, he could hope for no better position to defend, nor for any better way to die.

The King, his Hand, the Hound and Renly made their way into Maegor's holdfast, closing the entrance behind them. They turned around to find they weren't alone inside it.

Sansa found herself dragged into the dungeons, locked in a cell to be held hostage. Soon after, she heard a nearby cell be unlocked and the dying screams of a man.

She was given neither food nor water, even if she had, she didn't have the appetite for either. The sound of fighting raged above her, she prayed for her father and Arya's safety.

Her sister had been so much nicer to her the past few weeks, to lose her now when they had finally found peace…

Did the men mean to hold her for ransom? They had not returned after locking her here. They might even be dead. Would she die in this cell, forgotten? Tears were running down her face as she hugged herself tightly. She'd heard Lady's dying scream, she'd seen her septa's death, both deaths haunted her mind, torturing her with guilt as she lay alone in the cell.

Bran had found Tyrion again, it seemed the both of them suffered insomnia. Bran did not need help interpreting his most recent dream, but there was another matter.

"I think I can see through Summer's eyes."

"Warging they call it. I'd wager you're not the first Stark to do so."

"Ser Maria could do the same, with her raven. That's how she…" Bran realized it might be best to speak no further on the matter.

"Well, have you tried doing it willingly?"

"I have, but, how would I even begin to actually do so?" Tyrion simply shrugged in response. Bran closed his eyes and tried to focus. This time, it was different, it felt as though his direwolf was calling to him.

His surroundings fell away until slowly his vision filled with the moonlit forest outside. His senses heightened to those of a beast.

He felt pain upon his back, he saw an arrow fly over his head as he tripped on a tree root. He ran towards Winterfell and away from the hundreds of soldiers behind him.

Bran returned to himself and looked to the guard. "Sound the alarm! We're being attacked!"

By the time she had made it to King's Landing, the sun had begun to rise once more. Her familiar had been sent to scout ahead, but there was only so much it could see from above. Her legs were still numb as she started making her way towards the Red Keep.

Her familiar had glimpsed hundreds of bodies, city watch and palace guards alike, yet no sign of the Starks, or the King. It was likely the worst had come to pass. She tried to steel her resolve, to put her fear and guilt at the back of her mind. Her steps grew more confident, whoever had done this would pay, with far more than their lives.

Robb was pulled from his sleep by Ser Rodrik.

"Wake up my lord, we're under attack" Rodrik had brought his sword and armor.

"How many?" Robb jumped out of bed, his eyes slowly adjusting to the moonlight.

"They outnumber us five to one and are well equipped , had Bran not alerted us, we may have perished in our sleep. I've already ordered the garrison awake, the guards arm themselves."

"Have those who cannot fight, but can still work, readying barricades and fetching supplies. The most vulnerable ought to just hide in the crypts." Robert dressed himself and put on his armor. His suspicions had been confirmed, now he needed only to survive long enough to act on them.

He left his room, only to see fire arrows raining down onto his wooden structures. Lady Catelyn had already ordered some of the women to start putting out any fires that break out. While Winterfell itself would likely endure, the same could not be said for Winter Town around it. The vile sons-of-whores meant to use the smoke for cover in their advance.

"Those who live in Winter Town?"

"We're rushing in as many as we can before they get here. But it wouldn't be long enough for everyone. And some are already lost"

"So be it, wait as long as you can, then close and bar the gate."

Robb stood in position and took a deep breath. Outnumbered or not, Winterfell was still a fortress, his enemies would need to fight uphill and there were enough provisions to survive a siege until reinforcements from the Karstarks arrived. He grabbed a bow and nocked an arrow.

"Loose!"

Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for 100 followers and over 60 faves. Glad this story is being received so well.